The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[pinkchick]

Sooooo bummed! Three eggs out of 8 hatched, there was a 4th that was still rocking and chirping when the 3 chick hatched but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I have 2 happy little lively girls running around with a VERY spirited little boy.

I now have 5 girls growing out and to grow out from my last surviving hen and roo. One of their daughters that hatched in December is coming along nicely, looks like she is going to take after her monsterously huge father.

I know they aren't suppose to be this big but I love the comments and looks from visitors when they realize just how big he is and they say " Now, Welsummer's aren't usually that big are they?"
I think I will keep the larger birds for myself for fun. I will take the scale out today and weigh my roo "Odin" and see how much he tips in at.....it ain't nothing close to standard I know that.

eta: Update on shipped eggs in the bator, first of all, I chose to incubate only the darkest 8 eggs out of 14 that were shipped. Out of those 8, 6 made it to lockdown this morning.
Oh yeah....I also didn't get around to setting them until 2 days later then I had originally planned....my bad.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm sorry more didn't hatch, but at least you got a couple girls! Beats all the boys you've been hatching.

My cockeral is now 19 weeks, and I'm noticing that he's really starting to fill out. He's getting broad through the breast. And his coloring just keeps getting better and better. The pullets are getting more comb/wattle growth and a deeper pink. None of them are squatting yet though. Of course they were used to being chased by the hens when I integrated them, so they are tough to get close to these days. But they sure do crowd around when I come with the treats!

 

[IggiMom]

Last year my roo was a pitiful little guy. I thought he must have something wrong with him. But now, he has gotten big and beautiful.

Apparently sometimes the roosters mature a litter more slowly than the gals.

Catherine

 

[IggiMom]

One of my Welsummer hens appears to be broody.

I had it in my head that they did not go broody very often. Is this unusual, or is it common for them? Are they usually good mothers? I don't really have any good eggs for her to hatch right now.

She is quite young, being last summer's chick.

Catherine

 

[vtsarahb]

I

my welsummer hen!! She's sweet, smart, and lays the most beautiful dark speckled eggs. I'm getting another this summer. Those of you with Wellie roosters- do you find that they're very gentle with the hens?

 

[IggiMom]

I have a Wellie roo. So far he has been very nice, both with hens and with people.

I hope he stays that way.

Catherine

 

[EweSheep]

Welsummers are not known to be broody but they CAN LOL! I think the Welsummer Bantams are more prone to being broody than their larger cousins. from what other Welsummer breeders were saying, they can brood but terrible mothers. If you are going to let her brood, keep an eye out when she hatches them. If she tries to kill them, time to intervene and collect all the chicks and brood them yourself. No sense of letting her kill the chicks because of "letting her experience motherhood". It simply does not work for all birds. You can try again but if she tries to kill her second batch of chicks, then you can now know she is a killer. If she is good about broody, I love that in a hen and I would take her eggs about a day before expecting to hatch so she does not try to kill them again.

In my case, all the roos I've had, Wellie or not, are all gentle to my girls. They should be gentle toward humans as well. A mean roo would not live or stay long with me.

 

[pinkchick]

Yes, they can go broody but from what I understand it does not happen that often. I don't know if they make good mothers or not, hopefully someone that has had the pleasure of a broody Wellie will chime in and let us know.
I hope she is broody so that you can tell us all about it. I'm jealous!

 

[IggiMom]

She is a big girl, not a bantam. She is certainly acting that way. If she stays that way a couple of days I will move her to a 'Safe House' and see if she is ok with that, and give her some eggs if she is.

I'll let you know.

Ewesheep, I'm with you, a mean roo does not last too long here. I just cannot have one.

Catherine

 

[pinkchick]

Shipped Egg Update: Out of the 6 that made it to lockdown 4 have hatched. Looks like 2 girls and 2 boys. #5 has pipped and is working hard on zip.

One of the little Wellie roo's that hatched out yesterday from the eggs that I had shipped in, well he can't seem to stay off his back. Every time I come in the room he is on his back and can't roll over or get back up. Once he is up he can stand but I noticed that one of his legs "looks" as though it is shorter than the other.....no kidding and it looks a little splayed. I hobbled him this morning to see if it will help. Looks like it is....I've only found him on his back once since then.